Time-controlled switch.



R. MURRAY.

TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. I914.

1 1 6 1 ,068, Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

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R. MURRAY.

TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 19M. 1,161,068. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

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COLUMBIA vuxonmn co.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY MURRAY, OF AGENDA, KANSAS.

TIME-CONTROLLED SWITCH.

Application filed November 13. 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROY MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Agenda, in the county of Republic and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Controlled Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to time controlled switches, and has for its principal object to nrovdde mechanism for automatically moving a switch to closed and open positions at determined intervals by means of clock mechanism, together with setting devices for determining the hour of closing and opening the switch. In accomplishing this object I have provided the improved details of structure hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a rearview of the apparatus including the switch. clock-mechanism and setting dials. Fig. II is a front view on the section IIII, Fig. VII, with a part of the front clock frame plate broken away to illustrate the actuating parts. Fig. III is a front view of the clock, with a part of the dial broken away. Fig. IVis an elevation on the line IVIV, Fig. VII, showing the setting dial gears and the gearing for actuating the switch shaft. Fig. V is an elevation on the line I V. Fig. VII, showing the gearing for actuating the switch shaft and the secondary switch escapement latch and its controlling parts. on the line VIVI, Fig. VII, showing the primary switch escapement latch. Fig. VII

is a plan view of the mechanism. Fig. VIII is a detail view of the switch shaft and its escapement. Fig. IX is a section on the line IXIX, Fig. V, showing the setting parts and escapement cams.

Referring more in detail to the parts: 1 designates an electrical switch of any ordinary construction. here shown to be of the ordinary knife blade type, comprising the posts 2 and contact plates 3, which are adapted, when in one position, to contact the posts 2. Connected with theplates 3 is a rod 4: which is mounted on the crank 5 of a shaft 6, which is joumaled in the frame Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. VI is an elevation.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 871,931.

plates 78 of an ordinary clock and adapted for actuation. through gearing 9, of ordinary construction, from a spring motor 10, having the usual pawl and ratchet winding device 11. The clock mechanism comprises a minute arbor 11 which is driven by suitable gearing 15 from a spring motor 16 like the arbor of any ordinary clock.

Meshing with one of the wheels 17 of the gearing 15 that drives the minute arbor 14 is a gear wheel 18 which is fixed on a shaft 19 that is revolubly mounted in the frame members 78 and extended thereacross; the wheel 18 being so geared as to make one revolution with every twenty-four revolutions of the minute hand.

Frictionally mounted on the shaft 19 are spaced gear wheels 2021; the former of which meshes with a pinion that is fixed on a sleeve 24 that is revolubly mounted on a shaft 25 that is journaled in the forward clock frame plate 8 and extended loosely through the rear plate 7 so that the sleeve 2% may turn freely in the plate 7 and on the shaft 25. The sleeve 24 carries a clock dial 27, and fixed on the shaft 25 in front of the dial, is a pointer 28 for use in determining by its relation to the dial, the hour at which the switch may be set, as will presently be more fully described.

Meshing with the gear wheel 21 on the shaft 19 is a pinion 30 which is fixed on the sleeve 31 of the second setting disk 32, which is revolubly mounted on the shaft 33 which is iournaled in the frame plate 8 and in the sleeve, so that the sleeve with the dial 32 and gear wheel 30 mav revolve on the shaft to set the disk relative to the pointer 34. Fixed on the shafts 25 and 33 are pinions 35,

both of which mesh with a single gear wheel 33011 the shaft 19. so that when the shaft 19 is revolved by the gearing connecting the same with the minute shaft of the clock, both of the shafts 25 and 33 may be revolved simultaneously and at the same speed. Fixed to the gear wheels 20 and 21 are cams 38 and 39, having step-offs 40 and 11 respectively.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 42 which is fixed to and extends between the clock frame plates 78 is the secondary escapement latch 43. having an arm 14 vieldingly held against the cam 39 by a spring 15. and having yoke arms 46 and 41-7 projected along opposite sides of the shaft 6; the arm e7 having a hook 19 on its inner face adapted for holding a pin that projects laterally from av disk 51 th is fixed on the switch shaft the arm 46 being adapted for proiection into the path of the pin to stop tl e same. Also pivotally mounted on the shaft 42 is the primary escapement latch 52, having an arm 53 held in yielding engagement with the cam 38 by a spring 54 and an opposite arm 57 provided with a hook that is adapted for holding a pin 59 that projects from the opposite face of the disk 51, and is adapted for movement by its cam into posi tion for stopping the switch shaft when the shaft has been released by the movement of the stop arm 46 of the seconcarv escapement latch out of the path of the pin 50.

In order to impart a better understanding of the construction and operation of the mechanism 1 will describe its operation. Presumin the parts to be constructed and assembled as described, with both f the spring motors tensioned and the clock in operation, should it be desired that the switch be closed at a predetermined time, say at eight oclock in the evening, in order to turn current into the electric lights in a display window of a store, and that the switch be opened at a later hour, say at twelve oclock p. m., in order to extinguish the lights and thereby save current without requiring the services of an attendant, the setting dial on the sleeve 24 is turned until the hour numeral 8 thereon underlies the pointer 28. While the dial is being turned, the sleeve 24 revolves on the shaft which is held stationary by its gear connection with the shaft 19 that is in gear with the minute shaft of the clock, but the movement of the dial t rns the gear wheel 20 so that it turns on its frictional mounting on the shaft 19 to bring the cam 38 into proper relation with the primary escapement latch 52, so that when the hour hand of the clock has reached the hour indicated on the setting dial 527, the step-oft of the cam will pass beneath the arm 53 of the latch and the set arm be drawn downwardly by the tension of its spring to lift the hook end of the latch out of engagement with the pin on the holding disk on the switch shaft to release the latter to the actuation of its spring motor. When the switch shaft is released as described, it is revolved by the motor and the crank 5'actuated to throw the switch over into closed relation with the contact posts to close a circuit. The switch shaft 6 continues to revolve when released as described, and when it has turned a half revolution the pin 50 on the opposite side of the disk is caught by the book 49 on the arm 43 of the secondary escapement latch and the disk held against the tension of the spring motor so that revolution of shaft 6 is stopped and the switch held in closed position. With the parts in this relation the shaft 19 continues to rethat the stop arm volve through its connection with the minute arbor of the clock, and as the hour indicated on the second setting dial 32 approaches, the step-off of the cam 39 approaches, the arm 43 of the secondary escapement latch, and, when the hour is reached, the arm 43 is drawn down over the cam stepoff to lift the hook end 49 of said latch out of contact with the pin 50, and thereby permit a second actuation of the crank shaft that throws the crank back to its original position and thereby retracts the switch rod and pulls the switch out of engagement with the contact members to open the switch to out 01f the, current, thereby extinguishing the lights when the apparatus is utilized with the lighting system heretofore mentioned. If the mechanism is adapted for use only for the purpose described, that is, to turn lights on at a predetermined hour and turn them off at a later hour, the clock mechanism may be undisturbed and continue to operate throughout the day.

After the mechanism has operated as described, as the hour approaches for actuating the primary latch, the rise of the cam 39, in advance of the step-oft, lifts the arm 43, so is moved out of contact with the pin 50 to enable the pinto pass, but

synchronously with the movement of the" stop arm 46, the clutch arm 58 of the secondary latch is moved into position for engagement by the pin 59, so that when the disk 51 is released by the secondary latch, it is engaged by the primary latch to prevent its actuation by the spring motor. When the hour is reached for closing the switch, the operation heretofore described is repeated and the closing of the switch is effected in a like manner at the later hour; the operation being repeated as long as the clock continues to run and the setting dials remain in their original positions.

It is apparent that the hours for closing or opening the switch maybe changed as often as desired and at any predetermined closing and opening periods,v and that the opening and closing operations will take place at the hours indicated on the setting dials with substantial accuracy, as the frictional mounting on the cam and gear members on the shaft 19 is sufficient to drive the parts with suiiicient positiveness to obviate lost movement, while having sufiicient freedom on the shafts to enable them to be set through the gearing connecting them with the setting dials.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination with a time-controlled arbor, of a shaft operable from the arbor, gear wheels frictionally mounted on and adapted for travel with the shaft, cams on said gear wheels, independent means engaging the gear wheels to set the cams, a switch shaft, a stop member on the switch shaft, latches operable from the cams for controlling the stop member, and a switch operable from said switch shaft.

2. The combination with a time-controlled arbor, of a shaft operable from the arbor, a gear wheel frictionally mounted on and adapted for travel with the shaft, a cam connected with the gear wheel, a rotatable shaft, a sleeve frictionally mounted on the rotatable shaft and provided with a setting member, a pinion fixed to the sleeve and engaging the cam gear wheel, gear connection between the cam shaft and the sleeve shaft, and a pointer on the sleeve shaft, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a time-controlled arbor, of a cam shaft operable from the arbor, combined cam and gear wheels frictionally mounted on the shaft and adapted for travel therewith, means for setting the combined cam and gear wheels, a switch shaft, a disk on the switch shaft having a plurality of stops, independent latch members operable from the separate cams for controlling said disk, and a switch operable by the switch shaft.

4:. The combination with a time-controlled arbor, of a cam shaft operable from the arbor, a combined cam and gear wheel frictionally mounted on and adapted for travel with said shaft, a rotatable shaft, a pointer fixed on said rotatable shaft, a sleeve frictionally mounted on the rotatable shaft and adapted for travel therewith, a disk on said sleeve for cooperation with the pointer to indicate a set hour, a pinion fixed on said sleeve and meshing with the cam gear, a pinion fixed on said rotatable shaft, a gear wheel fixed on the cam shaft and meshing with the last named pinion, a switch shaft, a stop member on the switch shaft, a latch operable from the cam and adapted for en gaging the stop member, to control rotation of the switch shaft, a motor operably connected with the switch shaft, and a switch operable by the switch shaft.

5. The combination with a time-controlled arbor, of a cam shaft operable from the arbor, independent gear wheels frictionally mounted on the cam shaft, cams fixed on said gears, independent, rotatable shafts, a driving gear wheel fixed on the cam shaft, said independent rotatable shafts having pinions meshing with said driving gear wheel,

sleeves on said rotatable shafts, each having a dial, a pointer on each of said rotatable shafts adapted for cooperation with the dial to indicate a set hour, pinions fixed on the sleeve and meshing with the separate cam gear wheels, a switch shaft, a disk on the switch shaft having protuberances on its opposite faces, separate latches operable by the separate cams for controlling travel of the disk with its shaft, a motor for actuating the switch shaft, and a switch operable from said switch shaft.

6. The combination with a shaft, of a switch operable from the shaft, means for actuating the shaft, a member on the shaft provided with circumferentially spaced pins, independently operable escapement members adapted for engagement with separate pins on said member, clock mechanism, a shaft operable by the clock mechanism, gear wheels having frictional mounting on said shaft and each provided with a cam for actuating one of the escapement members, independent shafts, sleeves having frictional mounting on the independent shafts, a gear wheel on the clock shaft, pinions on the independent shafts meshing with the gear wheel on the clock shaft, a gear wheel on each of said sleeves meshing with one of the cam gear wheels on the clock shaft, a setting dial on each sleeve and a pointer on each independent shaft adapted for cooperation with.

a relative dial to indicate time of actuation of a relative escapement member.

7. The combination with a switch, of a shaft, means for constantly retaining the shaft under revolving tension, crank connection between the shaft and switch, a disk on said shaft, pins projecting from opposite faces of the disk, an escapement member pivotally mounted and adapted for holding engagement with one of said pins, a secondary escapement member pivotally mounted and having yoke arms, one provided with a hook for engaging one of said pins and the other with a stop portion for engaging the other pin, clock mechanism, means operable by the clock mechanism for actuating the escapement members in proper sequence, and means for setting said last named means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROY MURRAY.

Witnesses:

A. A. MADDEN, E. E. BAIRD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C." 

